Aerial advertising and signaling



March 3, 1931. BLERIOT 1,794,828

AERIAL ADVERTISING AND SIGNALING Filed Jan. 26, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 3, 1931. 1.. BLERIOT AERIAL ADVERTISING AND SIGNALING Filed Jan. 26. 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 3, 1931. BLERIOT 1,794,828

AERIAL ADVERTISING AND SIGNALING Filed Jan. 26. 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Mar. 3, 1931 v v UNITED STATES LOUIS BLERIOT, OF PARIS, FRANCE AEBIAI. ADVERTISING AND SIGNALING Application filed June 26, 1929, Serial No. 873,739, and in Belgium'October 10, 1928.

The present invention relates to aerial advertising and si naling of the type described in my copendmg application Serial No. 196,874 filed June 6,1927,PatentNo. 1,727,095,

6 issued September 3, 1929, in which a sheet carrying any desired insignia 1s towed behind an aeroplane or dirigible.

One of the objects of'the invention is to provide a novel method for rolling up and releasing a sheet to be towed through the air.

Another object is to provide means operative to release a rolled up sheet after the latter takes up a position at a predetermined distance behind the towing structure.

A further object is to provide means operative to turn the advertising sheet so that the latter is towed at right angles to the plane of the earth.

A still further object is to provide meansoperative by movement of the sheet through the air to stifl'en the latter in the direction of its length.

Another object still is to provide means for sti fleningthe unrolled sheet in both the direction of its length and of its width.

Additional objects will appear in the course of the detailed description now to be given with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figs. 1 to 8 show a sheet to be unrolled at various stages in the course of its being rolled Fig. 9 represents the structure for supporting the rolled up sheet under, and for releasing the same from, an aeroplane;

Fig. 9a is a detail View of-the latch and brake lever shown in Fig. 9.

Fig. 9b is'a plan view of the same.

Fig. 10 shows the unrolled sheet being towed parallel to the earth;

Fig. 11 illustrates, in perspective, a sheet supported so as to fly at right angles to the plane of the earth;

Fig. 12 represents another arrangement for 45 turning the sheet at right angles to the earth and also means operative by movement of the sheet to stiffen the latter both laterally and longitudinally.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 10 of the drawings, there is shown a sheet a attached at one end to and supported by a transverse rod A plurality of cables 0 are connected to the bar and to one end of an extensible elastic element al A towing cable (Z having a length exceeding that of the aeroplane is attached to the other end of the element 03 A pair of cables e are attached to the extremities of the bar 6 and support a stabilizing element e. Around the sheet folded into the position shown in Fig. 3 is wound a paper spiral f as shown in Fig. 4 to maintain t e sheet in rolled up posit-ion. A second paper spiral g is then rolled around the greater part of the cable d to hold this in collapsed position as shown in Figs. 6 to8.

The roll thus formed is supported in a releasing mechanism consisting of a pair of crescent shaped elements It pivotally mounted at b on supports 713 depending from the wings or from the fuselage. Cables 2' are attached at one end to the elements it and at their other ends loop over a hook j pivoted at 3' A latch f slides over the end of the hook j and is held in that position by a spring j. In this way the hook is normally held closed. A control cable is is connected to the latch'y' and passes through a fixed member lc Upon the upper side of this fixed member the cable is carries an enlarged portion and a handle, the enlarged portion serving to hold the handle in position to be grasped by the operator. Upon pulling the handle of the cable is, the 300k j will be released and the carrier it will To the end of the cable 03 is secured a cable Z which passes through a guide m and at its other extremity engages an openhook n on a drum n. A brake band 0, engaging another portion of this drum, is connected at both ends to a lever 0 pivoted at 0 In order to hold this lever in adjusted position, a threaded member is pivoted thereto at p and passes through a pivotally mounted member p. A nut 39 is adapted to be screwed down to engage the member 39 and thus lock the brake lever in any degree of tightness.

The hereinabove described elements are operated in the following manner :Banner or sheet a is laid on the ground-with the advertising insignia upward, weight 6 is then laid in a groove formed in bar 6, and the lateral edges of the banner are rolled in the manner shown in Fig. 1 so as to form two substantially equal, longitudinal rolls a, a rolls a, a are then folded in zig-zag fashion (Fig. 2) and the collapsed assembly consisting of elements, a, b, c, e and e is covered by a paper or similar easily torn material 7 (Figs. 3, 4 and 5) extensible element 12 and cable d are then laid over cover f (Fig. 6) and a second layer of /paper g is wound spirally over all; the entire package thus formed is then turned over so that rolls a a face downward (Fi 9), then mounted in supports h, h, and ca le d is connected to cable the aeroplane is then ready to take off; once the plane is in the air, the banner may be released by first pulling cable so as to release cable 71 and permit supports h to tilt downward, brake lever o being held in looking position by element 1); the package containing the banner drops into space and the tension on cable (5 rips envelope g so as to liberate element d and a length of cable corresponding approximately to that of the plane, the roll containing elements a, b, 0 e and (2 remaining intact; as soon as cable d straight'ens out, the traction on cables 0 rips open inner envelope f, stabilizer 6 drops downward, and banner 0 opens first longitudinally, then transversally ;but as soon as the banner is completely unrolled the traction on cable d increases suddenly and it becomes necessary to alternate, momentarily, the violence of this tractive efl'ort; this is accomplished, in part, by extensible element d and by the pilots manoeuvring brake lever 0 so as to diminish the braking action of band 0; the effect of the latter manoeuvre is to diminish the tension on cable d and to pay out cable Z; when the desired amount 0 cable Z has unrolled, the pressure on brake lever 0 is gradually increased (by turning element p) until drum n no longer rotates; the banner may then be towed indefinitely behind the plane. Preferably, as disclosed in the co ending application already referred to, ca le d is suspended from, or below the center of avit ofthe plane so. as to permit indepen ence ,o movement for the plane and the banner.

When a landing operation is to be efiected,

brake lever o is actuated to release drum n and cable l first unrolls, then detaches itself from open hook 41.. Banner on and its appendages then drop slowly to the ground and are rerolled preparatory to another display- 7 in operation.

en the banner is being towed near the aeroplane, it is sometimes found that the spiral, air wake produced by the propeller tends to rotate the former about its longitudinal axis. This efiect may be compensated by positioning stabilizer e asymmetrically with respect to the aforementioned axis 1. e. so as to compensate the air couple produced 'by the propeller.

To prevent tearing of the free end of the banner by the whip-snapping action exerted thereon durin towing, the latter is formed of a material designated by the French as cellulaire cut out in the form of triangles a (Fig. 10).

If 1t be desired to tow the banner. at right angles to the plane of the earth, stabilizer e is replaced by a weight g mounted on one end of bar I) (Fig. 11) or cables 0 are changed in length so that the triangle formed by bar 6 and the extreme cables is no longer isosceles (Fig. 12). In the latter case, the lengths of the cables should be chosen so that,- during towing, cable at is in line with the bisector of the angle formed by extreme cables 0.

In order to stiffen banner a either in vertical or horizontal fiying'position, a pair of rings 8, s are mounted on opposite ends of bar 6 and cloth cylinders 1', 1' are attached thereto. Elements 1' may be attached to or formed in continuation with, a rectangular banner (1 but preferably are mounted on a banner of trapezoidal form tapering in the direction of its length. If a rectangular banner (not shown) be employed, the sheet will be stiffened longitudinally by the air flowing through c linders '1'. When cylinders 7' are mounte on a trapezoidal banner,

the air flowing therethrough exerts a force I having a component in the direction of the sheets width, and the latter will be stifi'ened both longitudinally and transversally. It is to be understood, of course, that, whether the banner be rectan lar or trapezoidal, the general method 0 rolling up and releasing the sheet shown in Figs. 1 to 10, will remain the same. It is further obvious that th use of stifiening means 1', s is optional, the banner structure being periectly operative without this auxiliary.

What I claim is 1. In combination with a flying machine, a banner, an envelope enclosing said banner and adapted to tear under the action of a shearing force, and towing means extendirig from said banner, through said envelope, to

the flying machine, said towing means being adapted to exert a shearing force on said envelope.

. 2. In combination with a flying machine, a banner, a fibrous envelope enclosing said banner and adapted to tear under the action of a shearing force, and towing means extending from said banner, through said envelope, to the flying machine, said towi'ng means being adapted to exert a shearing force on said envelope.

3. In combination with a flying machine, a bar, a banner supported by one end on said bar, a pair of cables extending from said bar to a common point, an envelope enclosing said bar, banner, and cables, andv towing means extending from the-point oi junction of said pair of cables, through said envelope,

to the flying machine.

4. In combination with a flying machine,

a banner, a first envelope enclosing said banner, towing means including a cable extending from said banner, through said first envelope, to said flying machine, said cable being coiled in part outside said first envelope, and a second envelope enclosing the coiled portion of said cable.

5. A structure as defined in claim 1, in combination with means for releasably supporting said banner and its envelope under the flying machine, and meansfor actuating said'last named means to release the banner together with its envelope from the flying machine.

6. A structure as defined in claim 1, in combination with means for releasably supporting said banner and its envelope under the flying machine, means for actuating said last named means to drop said banner and its envelope from the flying machine, and

means for varying the effective length of the towing means.

7. A structure as defined in claim 1, in combination with means for releasably supporting said banner and its envelope under the flying machine, means for actuating said last named means to drop the banner with its envelope from the flying machine, a drum adapted to pay out said towing means, a

brake means operative to vary the rate at which said drum pays out the towing means. 8. A banner assembly comprising a bar having a looped portion associated therewith, and a sheet suspended from said bar and having a longitudinal chamber formed along one edge thereof, said longitudinal chamber having one end thereof supported on the looped portion of the bar.

9. In combination with a flying machine, a bar, a banner attached to said bar, a single cable connected at one end to said machine, flexible members connecting the other end of said cable to the bar, and means operative to swing said banner and bar into a vertical plane when said banner is towed behind the flying machine.

10. The method of gathering up a banner to be unfurled from a flying machine which comprises rolling the lateral edges of the banner towards the center thereof, and folding the banner thus rolled a plurality of times on a fractional portion of its length.

11. A banner to machine comprising a sheet having its edges inclined towards each other from front to rear, and open longitudinally hollow members secured along said edges.

12. A banner to be towed behind a flying machine comprising a rigid bar having loops on either end thereof, a sheet secured at one end of said bar and having its edges inclined 65 towards each other from front to rear, and a be towed behind a flying 4 longitudinal chamber along each of said edges having one end thereof secured to one of said loops.

In testimony specification.

whereof I have signed this LOUIS BLERIOT. 

